Bill 68 May Change Duties And Obligations Concerning Conflicts Of Interest

On May 30, 2017, the Modernizing Ontario's Legislation Act, 2016, also known as Bill 68, passed third reading and received Royal Assent in Ontario's Legislature. Bill 68's amendments to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act are not yet in force at the time of this writing. Once declared in effect, these amendments will provide for significant changes to the law's approach on both actual and potential conflicts of interest by public officials.

Most notably, changes under Bill 68 provide a larger role for municipally-appointed Integrity Commissioners who will now act as a first point of contact for council and local board members who have concerns over the possibility of acting in contravention of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. In theory, changes arising from Bill 68 will reward members who seek direction from an Integrity Commissioner by reducing the likelihood of a severe penalty in the event that those members are found to have acted in conflict.